Unfortunately, the tendency is to either mask the smell with perfume agents or try to remove it with dangerous chemical cleaners, which leave behind a harsh odor and often undetectable hazardous airborne particles that have been linked to a host of health issues.

Clean should not have a harsh smell.

Green and probiotic cleaners are biodegradable, only leave behind a faint scent, and are absent the potential side-effects of conventional alternatives.

Bad Odors and Repeat Business

Bad odors can come from anywhere for multiple reasons, all of which will turn away prospective or repeat business.

According to the same survey, dirty walkways and entryways, surfaces, and restrooms were also listed as reasons to never repeat business with a restaurant, and every one of those areas can be sources for bad smells, as well as germs and bacteria.

According to Cleaning Maintenance & Mangement, bad smells can turn away repeat business from several industries that rely on it, including:

What You Can’t Smell

Our sense of smell will typically warn us if we’ve come into contact with a hazardous airborne substance, typically allowing us to exit the vicinity prior to any long-term damage being done.

However, according to Kimberly-Clark Professional, it is the chemicals in the air that our nose cannot detect that should concern us.

Not all gaseous contaminants – including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – can be identified by smell alone.

In fact, the issue of controlling VOCs and other gaseous contaminants may be even more important when there are no odors associated with them to trigger occupant complaints.

KCP goes on to detail exactly why this is such a problem.

According to the EPA, research shows that some VOCs can cause chronic and acute health effects at high concentrations, and some are known carcinogens. Low to moderate levels of multiple VOCs may also produce acute reactions.

There is also the potential for interaction of VOCs with other chemical compounds to form a third compound that may be a threat to health and comfort, according to leading air quality investigators.